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David W. Suddarth

Welcome to Ancestral Journeys, my genealogy research blog. Researching one's ancestors is like taking a journey back through time. Each of our ancestors have a story and those stories are waiting to be told. I hope to do that, as well as outline research methods and other information relating to genealogy and family history. Even if we do not share the same ancestry, I hope you will find some of the discussion and ideas of benefit. For my complete profile, click on the 'About' tab at the top of the page.

James Suddarth – Application for Bounty Land, Part 1

James Suddarth applied for bounty land three times, twice in 1850, and again in 1855. This is a transcription of one of the applications he made in 1850.

State of IndianaCrawford CountyOn this sixth day of November A.D. one thousand Eight hundred and fifty , personally appeared before me a Justice of the Peace within and for the County and State aforesaid, James Suddarth aged fifty five years, a resident of Crawford County in the State of Indiana, who being duly sworn according to law declares, that he is the identical James Suddarth pack horse driver in the Brigade commanded by Captain James J Higgins in the war with Great Britain declared by the United States on the 18th day of June 1812, that he enlisted at Lexington in the State of Kentucky on or about the first day of January A.D. One thousand Eight hundred and thirteen for the term of three months and continued in actual service (as such pack horse driver) in said war for the term of two months and twenty nine days and was honorably discharged at Dayton in the State of Ohio, on the twenty ninth day of March A.D. One thousand Eight hundred and thirteen, as will appear by his original certificate of discharge herewith presented or by the muster roll of said Brigade.He makes this declaration for the purpose of obtaining the bounty land to which he may be entitled under the “act granting bounty land to certain officers and soldiers who have been engaged in the military service of the United States” passed September 28th 1850.

James Suddarth

Sworn to and subscribed before me the day and year above [ or before] written.And I hereby certify that I believe the said James Suddarth to be the identical man who served as aforesaid and that he is of the age above [ or before] stated.

John G Coopor (signature & seal)
Justice of the peace

State of IndianaCrawford County I Cassimer W Kindle Clerk of the Crawford Circuit Court do hereby certify that John G Cooper Is and was on the Sixth Day of November 1850 an acting Justice of the Peace duly Commissioned and qualified and that all his acts as such is and ought to be given full faith and CreditIn Witness of which I Cassimer W Kindle Clerk of the Crawford Circuit Court Subscribe my name and affix the seal of said Court at Leavenworth this 13th Day of November AD 1850

Cassimer W Kindle (signature)

There are many clues in this application. Not only does it tell us that he enlisted in Lexington, Kentucky on the first of January, 1813, we also learn that he was a pack horse driver. Since we know that James was born in 1795, we know that he was 17 years of age when he enlisted. In addition, we have the name of his Captain. We can use this information to discover who else would have fought with James, providing further avenues of research.

We also learn that James enlisted in Lexington, Kentucky. Lexington is in Fayette County, Kentucky and a search of records should be done there. It is, however, likely that James did not live in Lexington, but simply went there to enlist, as it was the closest big city to where he lived. In another application file, James states that he re-enlisted at the courthouse in Casey County, Kentucky. He most likely was living in Casey County when he enlisted at Lexington at the beginning of January. However, a search should still be conducted in Fayette County.

Items like those found in this pension file can not only help advance your research, but also add life to the family history.